Table Of ContentANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS
OF
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM
OF NATURAL HISTORY
VOL. X, PART IV
. THE BEAVER INDIANS
BY
PLINY EARLE GODDARD.
NEW YORK
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES
1916
American Museum of Natural History.
' PUBLICATIONS IN ANTHROPOLOGY.
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In 1906 the present series of Anthropological Papers was authorized by the
Trustees of the Museum to record the results of research conducted by the Depart¬
ment of Anthropology. The series comprises octavo volumes of about 350 pages
each, issued in parts at irregular intervals. Previous to 1906 articles devoted to
anthropological subjects, appeared as occasional papers in the Bulletin and also in
the Memoir series of the Museum. A complete list of these publications with prices
will be furnished when requested. All communications should be addressed to the
Librarian of the Museum.
The recent issues are as follows:—
Volume X.
I. Chipewyan Texts. By Pliny Earle Goddard. Pp. 1--66. 1912. Price,
$1.00.
II. Analysis of Cold Lake Dialect, Chipewyan. By Pliny Earle Goddard.
Pp. 67-170, and 249 text figures. 1912. Price, $1.00.
III. Chipewyan Tales. By Robert H. Lowie. Pp. 171-200. 1912. Price,
$.25.
IV. The Beaver Indians. By Pliny Earle Goddard. Pp. 201-293, and 19
text figures. 1916. Price, $1.00.
V. (In press.)
Volume XI.
I. Societies and Ceremonial Associations in the Oglala Division of the Teton-
Dakota. By Clark Wissler. Pp. 1-99, and 7 text figures. 1912. Price, $.50
II. Dance Associations of the Eastern Dakota. By Robert H. Lowie. Pp.
101-142. 1913. Price, $.25.
III. Societies of the Crow, Hidatsa and Mandan Indians. By Robert H. Lowie
Pp. 143-358 and 18 text figures. 1913. Price, $2.00.
IV. Societies and Dance Associations of the Blackfoot Indians. By Clark
Wissler. Pp. 363-460, and 29 text figures. 1913. Price, $1.00.
V. Dancing Societies of the Sarsi Indians. By Pliny Earle Goddard. Pp.
461-474. 1914. Price, $.25.
VI. Political Organization, Cults, and Ceremonies of the Plains-Ojibway and
Plains-Cree Indians. By Alanson Skinner. Pp. 475-542, and 10 text figures.
1914. Price, $.75.
VII. Pawnee Indian Societies. By James R. Murie. Pp. 543-644, and 18
text figures. 1914. Price, $1.00.
VIII. Societies of the Arikara Indians. By Robert H. Lowie. Pp. 645-678.
1915. Price, $.50.
IX. Societies of the Iowa, Kansa, and Ponca Indians. By Alanson Skinner.
Pp. 679-801, and 5 text figures. 1915. Price, $1.00.
X. Dances and Societies of the Plains Shoshone. By Robert H. Lowie. Pp.
803-?835. 1915. Price, $.25.
XI. Societies of the Kiowa. By Robert H. Lowie. Pp. 837-851. 1916.
Price, $.25.
XII. (In preparation).
(Continued on 3d p. of cover.)
ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS
OF
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM ■
OF NATURAL HISTORY
VOL. X, PART IV
THE BEAVER INDIANS
PLINY EARLE GODDARD.
NEW YORK
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES
1916
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2018 with funding from
Getty Research Institute
https://archive.org/details/beaverindiansOOgodd
THE BEAVER INDIANS.
By Pliny Earle Goddard.
201
INTRODUCTION.
The material presented in this paper was secured during the summer of
1913, spent on the Peace River. Arriving at Vermilion June 18, a visit
was first made to the Slavey on Hay River on the occasion of the payment
of the treaty money. The month of July and the first two weeks of August
were spent with the Beaver on Paddle River, particular attention being
given to the language and the securing of myths and tales in the form of
texts. During the latter half of August and September the Beaver of Fort
St. John and Dunvegan were visited. About half of this time was con¬
sumed in travel; and work with the Indians was difficult because suitable
interpreters were not available.
Not much of ethnological interest is directly observable at Vermilion
since the outward aspects of life have yielded to the long continued influence
of the fur traders. Conditions in that respect appear to be better at Fort
St. John, but the Indians had left or were on the point of leaving for the fall
hunting. The few ethnological notes here presented were mostly secured
incidentally to the linguistic work and the collecting of specimens.
The sounds of Beaver are represented as follows: — a, e, i, o, u, nearly as
in father, met, pique, bone, and rule; u as in but; g,, e, j, q, ij, nasalized; c as
sh; x as jota in Spanish; 1, a lateral surd spirant; e glottal stop; after a
consonant indicates glottalization of the consonant.
February 14, 1916.
CONTENTS.
Page.
INTRODUCTION.203
ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES.208
Shelter . ...... 210
Transportation.212
Food ............ 213
Clothing.216
Industrial Arts.219
Social Organization.221
Burial Customs.222
Religion. 226
MYTHS AND TALES.232
Tumaxale, a Culture Hero ..232
Agait’osdOnne, The Hair Scrapings Man — First Version . . 237
Agait’csdUnne, The Hair Scrapings Man — Second Version . . 240
Atcecq Kills Buffalo.241
AtcecQ Kills a Bad Man ... .... 242
Agait’osdOnne Marries the Chief’s Daughter .... 243
The Orphan Boy Kills Beaver.244
The Moose that Had Been a Man.244
Wonyoni Avenges the Death of his Sons.245
The Revenge of Wonyoni.247
Wonyoni Escapes from the Cree ..248
A Young Man is Taken to Another World by Fledgling Geese . 248
The Woman who Discovered Copper.249
Crow Monopolizes the Game ........ 250
A Man is Carried away by a Giant Bird . . . . .251
The Underwater People.251
The Beaver who Went Home with a Cree — First Version . . 252
The Beaver who Went Home with a Cree — Second Version . . 253
A Man Marries the Daughter of a Bird ..... 254
A Man Turns into a Squirrel and Escapes from a Bear . . 255
Watc’agic Kills the Dancing Birds.256
The Earth Recovered by Diving ....... 256
The Giant Beaver and Muskrat.257
The Redeeming of a Doomed Man.257
The Equally Matched Magicians.258
A Magician Cuts his Throat with Impunity.258
A Magician Spends a Winter in a Lake.259
A Magician Escapes the Cree by Turning into a Buffalo . . 259
Fournier’s Grandfather’s Supernatural Power .... 260
Thunderbirds.260
The Boy who was Cared for by the Wolf.260
The Loaned Hunting Dog.261
The Hunting Fetish.262
205
206 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. X,
Page.
The Man who Talked to the Buffalo.262
The Potency of War Songs. 263
Thr Curing of a Woman with a Medicine Lodge . 263
The Medicine Lodge. 263
The Man who Entered a Fish . ... 264
The Man who Wintered without Food 264
The Origin of Mosquitoes.264
The Killing of the Large Human Mosquitoes 264
The Shiftless Husband.265
A Young Man Carries about Fire all Winter ... 266
A Man Overcomes Obstacles in Rescuing his Sisters . 267
A Stolen Wife is Recovered from beyond the Sea . . 268
The Treacherous Wife. 270
A Woman Agrees to Betray her Sons to the Cree . . 271
A Man Avenges his Son-in-Law ....... 272
An Old Man Escapes a Plot only to be Killed in Revenge 273
A Man Wins his Faithless Wives by Wrestling . . 273
The Rival Husbands.274
A Young Man Tries to Escape the Responsibility of Parenthood . 275
Torturing the Enemy.276
Two Brothers Escape the Enemy by Flight ... 276
A Man and his Wife are Saved by Lightning . . 277
A Beaver Kills an Entire Band of Cree .... 278
A Man Saves his Parents-in-law from Starving .... 279
A Man, Frightened by his Wife, Kills Swimming Caribou . . 280
An Entire Band is Killed by the Cree ... . 280
A Cree, Caught Alone, is Killed by the Beaver . 281
A Man Scares off the Cree with a Gun . . . . .281
The Beaver, their Arrows having been used on Buffalo, are
Killed by the Cree. .281
A Man and his Wife Alone Escape the Cree ... 282
A Woman Hides Bear Meat from her Starving Husband . . 282
Starving Beaver Visit the Rocky Mountains .... 282
Fournier’s Family Escapes Starvation .... 283
The Escape of the Brothers from the Beaver Lodge . . 283
The Killing of the Children Avenged.284
The Killing of the Women Avenged.284
A Man Finds Beaver in Small Places.285
Putting the Enemy to Sleep by Magic ..... 285
A Blind Man’s Attempt at Defence .... . 286
A Battle on an Island — First Version.287
A Battle on an Island — Second Version . 288
A Dog-Rib Kills Some Men.288
The Killing of the Trader at Fort St. John —- First Version 289
The Killing of the Trader at Fort St. John —- Second Version . 289
Childbirth Customs.289
A Description of Primitive Life ....... 290
Hunting Experiences — Dunvegan Dialect .... 290
Dispersion of the Tribes — Dunvegan Dialect .... 292
BIBLIOGRAPHY.293
